The Beech Tree
by commonmadness
Summary: Sometimes even the best of us need help. Except when that help comes from Sirius Black. Then you just run away. JPLE


Here it is, the first chapter in the first story.

**I don't own Harry Potter. Stop making me cry. **

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><p><strong>The Beech Tree<br>**Chapter One

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><p>A certain black-haired boy was sitting underneath a large Beech tree, a little ways off on Hogwarts grounds. It was an ideal location; you could see practically the entire area whilst remaining hidden from unwanted view (i.e. that new first year who was driving him crazy… or Snivellus. James could handle a Slytherin any day, though. That first year, however…).<p>

So basically, it was a good place to plant yourself and watch people frolic about. Or study under the cool shade that the blessed tree provided. Or gaze intently at a particular red-head who was down by the lake with some of her friends…

Ahem. But James wasn't here to stare at girls, of course not. Today was different. Today he was going to be good and finish his homework instead of putting it off and waiting for the weekend. Because that's what she'd like; she was very studious, respectable, responsible and basically everything he wasn't.

But it wasn't just Evans who was getting him down. His parents hadn't written in three weeks. That was long, longer than usual. Missions were getting trickier these days, that was for sure, with all these rumors of Dark creatures out of myths showing up around muggle London, and whispers of a man who was behind it all, but three weeks… nearly four…. It was almost more than James could bear, just not knowing.

He could endure if he knew for certain. He could endure if he knew his parents were dead. He could manage if he knew that Evans definitely didn't like him. But the other day she had smiled, just a little smile, in the corner of her mouth as he walked by. Maybe he was imagining things. Maybe he wasn't. Maybe he wanted his mum to send him a letter already, telling him they had made it home alright.

But this rather depressing thought could not remain in his head for much longer as another dark-haired boy, who had been sneaking up on James from behind the bushes, was now well within speaking (shouting) range.

"OI! Prongs!"

James turned his head so abruptly he heard his neck pop. He rubbed it as he stood up.

"Blimey, Sirius. I'm right here."

But this didn't seem to bother Sirius one bit, as he began to grin cheekily. "Up for a bit of mayhem? I spotted Snivelly down by the lake, he's quite alone, I don't think Mrs. James Potter would interfere…," He finished, his grin growing more pronounced.

But the thought of Lily had sobered James once again. He said nothing.

"Whoa. I'm getting broody vibes here, mate. What happened, Mooney confiscate something of yours?" Sirius began to frown as James' silence continued. "Hey. Talk."

James sat down with a sigh. Sirius strolled over and leaned against the old tree, one arm above his head. He had a feeling he knew what this was about.

"What's on your mind?"

Potter remained silent, gazing at nothing. Then he stared towards the lake, where the very same red-head was now placing something into her bag and preparing to walk off.

"Evans," he muttered.

It was a good thing that James had been staring avidly at the lake. Sirius had tried to suppress the urge to roll his eyes and had failed miserably. Any other day, that would have earned him a good bump on the head, maybe even a bloodied lip. Every Marauder knew you were treading thin ice when the topic of Lily Evans came up.

So it was a mark of friendship when Sirius sat down next to his fellow mischief-maker to talk about Lily Evans again, and to cheer James up again. He stared at James for a while, his expression shrewd.

Black's best friend had been in a sullen mood lately whenever Evans was around, which was absolutely absurd to Sirius, since James had been infatuated with Lily since Third year, at least. He had probably fancied her before then, for all he knew. He certainly fancied her now, and by the looks of things, he was always going to fancy her. Now if he could just grab the Hippogriff by the beak and deal with this damned obsession. After all, it was already Seventh year. Now or never.

"Alright then," he said after length, "go talk to her."

Shocked eyes rounded on Sirius. "Are you mad? You do remember what happened last night in the common room? Because, really, I'd like to keep my manhood, thanks very much –"

"No, you complete prat. I didn't say hit on her. Just talk to her. Have you ever just talked to her?"

James was very quiet.

"Look, don't talk about yourself. Don't talk about the idea of you two together. Don't even mention anything that sounds other than platonic. Just… talk like two humans beings have a conversation and maybe, just maybe, she won't give you another Basilisk glare."

James blanched. "That won't work, she doesn't even want me to approach her, she really - "

"Prongs," Sirius said in a highly exasperated way, "if you're not going to do anything about this unhealthy obsession, then quit moping around. If you actually take your feelings seriously, stop torturing yourself and be a bloody man. Talk to her."

James blinked. He glanced around the grounds, searching. Lily was gone.

"Alright," he said quietly. "I'll talk to her."

Sirius breathed an obvious breath of relief. "Good," he said, satisfied. He glanced over at the Quidditch pitch. "Up for a game?" He motioned over towards the three elevated hoops in the distance.

"Sure," replied a now standing upright James, who was dusting the dirt off his pants. Sirius grinned, as did James, albeit reluctantly. As the bespectacled boy ran off to fetch two brooms, Sirius shook his head.

Walking off towards the Quidditch field, he secretly thought that if James and Lily did not get married and have plenty of babies, he would have to constantly be feeding James encouragement throughout the rest of his life. And if Prongs doesn't talk to Evans by the weekend (he thought with a sort of wicked delight that made prefects and Headmasters tremble in terror), then I will.

James won the match, 200 – 60. Sirius was never good at catching Snitches.

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><p><em>"You remember how we met?" <em>

_"Of course I do. You were crying in our train compartment, on the way to Hogwarts, our First year. I think I said something."_

_"Yeah... 'Whatchu on about?'" _

_"... Not my best moment."_

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><p>"Evans? Evans? I know you're here, Evans. I saw you walk in… you can't hide from me…"<p>

Lily rolled her eyes. Just when the creep couldn't get creepier…

She had been hiding underneath a low-set table in the library, clutching her book bag and hardly daring to breathe. The situation looked bleak indeed. Steven MacMillan, a Hufflepuff Seventh Year, was her worst nightmare, besides James Potter, of course.

Though I might even take Potter over MacMillan right about now, she thought grimly, gripping her bag with increased force. Five minutes to next period. Gotta come out sometime.

She took a deep breath, and crawled out from under the table. It was very undignified, and she was grateful that no one was around to see her get up.

Or so she thought, until a rather amused voice startled her from behind.

"All right, Evans?"

Lily froze. That was not MacMillan. She turned around.

Speak of the devil.

"Go away, Potter," she hissed, glancing about nervously. "I don't have time for this. Really. Find some other girl to annoy." She looked about for MacMillan. Hopefully, he hadn't heard Potter speak –

"Evans! What are you doing, hiding from me?"

Lily closed her eyes and tried to remember those breathing exercises her mum had gone over with her last summer after Petunia had snapped and started dating this ugly lump of a boy. Steven was staring at Lily with a bit more greed in his eyes than Lily (if she had had her eyes open) would have liked.

And since Lily's eyes were currently closed and she was counting to ten, and MacMillan was now taking advantage of the fact that Lily was blind and raking his eyes over less appropriate places, they both had failed to notice the look of extreme annoyance which immediately turned to fury on James Potter's face when the Hufflepuff began to admire Lily.

"Oi. You. Hufflepuff."

MacMillan noticed James and faced him with a frown.

Now James could be smooth with words when he wanted to be. That's why the ladies loved him. But there was a time for sugar-coating and a time for frankness. And frankly…

"Stop staring at Evans' chest."

Needless to say, James did not have the chance to talk to Lily as she was preoccupied shouting at both of them. Mrs. Norris was the only witness to the unpleasant scene which followed thereafter.

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><p><em>"Remember Second year? How you tried to woo me with that ridiculous Valentine?" <em>

_"Ridiculous! That was brilliant, that was. A right masterpiece." _

_"... James, you compared my eyes to a Basilisk's."_

_"... Because they strike you dead with their beauty."_

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><p>"Did you talk to her?"<p>

"… No."

"What the hell, Prongs! She's just a girl, you talk to plenty of girls – "

"But they're not Evans," mumbled James.

"No, of course they're not, that's not my point – you're acting like a total idiot! I don't understand, I don't get it, you've plenty of experience – "

It was then that Sirius noticed the look on James' face.

He had seen this look once before, when he was very young. It was on the face of his cousin, Andromeda. She had just been told she couldn't marry a muggle-born by her father, the righteous pureblood. Ted Tonks was the muggle's name, he remembered.

They had loved each other; that look upon Andromeda's face was of suffering and defeat. He recalled Bellatrix smiling at her father's words. He had never liked Bellatrix.

Was he going to stand there, with a condescending smile not unlike the one Bella had, as his brother suffered?

Sirius stared at his friend.

"You love her," he said softly.

James' head snapped up. "What did you say?"

"You love her…" Sirius shook his head as if shaking off a thought. "You love her. You've loved her all this time. Evans isn't just a girl. She's the girl, isn't she? Isn't she?"

James stared at his friend, his expression unreadable.

"All right. It's time for some immediate action. First though, we'll need Remus, he knows how to deal with these things better than I do… and he's friends with Evans, that'll be an advantage," he added as an afterthought. He looked thoughtful, now.

"What are we doing? I thought I was talking to Evans… "

Sirius gave his best friend a look that questioned his intelligence.

"If you love her, mate, you'll have some fixing up to do. Honestly... actually, it's no wonder she hasn't gone for you, she's really out of our league... Well, maybe yours, at least..."

Hazel eyes blinked. "Ahem."

Sirius grinned and laid a hand on James' shoulder. "No worries. By the end of the year, you two'll be together. And then I might actually have some bloody peace for once."

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><p><em>"I don't think our children will ever fully appreciate what I went through to create them." <em>

_"Don't worry. I'll always be there to remind them."_

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><p>I always liked the idea of Sirius bringing James and Lily together, he was so casual about it in the book. It seems as if he had something to do with it... "Nah, she didn't." Hmmn. She didn't, indeed...<p>

Mooney next time. I apologize for James' slight OOC, but he was down in the dumps about stupid girls.


End file.
